Asa Steinars, an Icelandic woman who still hasn’t named her baby after two months of life: “It’s very common”
The influencer explains that this is common practice in her country as newborns wait for an Icelandic committee to approve their names.
An Icelandic influencer has caused a minor cultural stir on social media by explaining that her son, born two months ago, still doesn’t have a name. For many of us, this is unheard of, a strange situation, but according to the influencer, it’s common practice in Iceland, where the process of naming a child can take weeks or months.
@asasteinars Since we’ve been talking about Icelandic naming traditions, it becomes even harder when your husband is Swedish 🇸🇪😆 we filmed this when I was 39 weeks pregnant. Trying to figure out the name of our baby boy.
♬ original sound - 𝙇𝙭𝙪𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙯 🎧
In a video posted to her TikTok profile, influencer Asa Steinars says that her son is currently called “little brother,” and that they will try out several names to “see which one fits.”
This custom stems from a social tradition and a sometimes demanding bureaucracy. In Iceland, the Icelandic Names Committee must approve a newborn’s name and check if it fits with the country’s language and culture. Therefore, newborns sometimes have to wait a while to receive an ‘official’ name.
@asasteinars What do you think his name is? 😆 We haven’t fully decided yet, but we’ve narrowed it down to two options. One of them had to be approved by the Icelandic naming committee (and we got a yes 🎉), while the other is already an old Norse name. Since I’m from Iceland and Leo is from Sweden, it makes things a bit more complicated…the name needs to work in both languages. And don’t even get me started on the last names! That’s a whole video on its own, since we have completely different traditions. I’m a “dóttir of,” while Leo goes by a family name. I’ve always loved old Norse names, the strong, earthy ones that feel like they carry stories from the sagas. Fun fact: some names, like Harriet or Duncan, have actually been banned by the Icelandic naming committee because they don’t fit Icelandic grammar! 😮 What’s your thoughts? #Iceland #icelandnames #icelandbabies #uniquenames
♬ original sound - Asa Steinars
In Iceland, due to this process, families have up to six months to register their child’s name, which gives them enough time to think carefully about what to name their newborn and, if it is not accepted, to choose a new name.
“This Sunday, after two months of waiting, our little one will finally receive a name. What do you think it is? Do you think the name we chose is right?”
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